Amari Bailey excited about future with Hornets: ‘There’s a lot to look forward to here.’

Amari Bailey started journaling when he was a kid, and he never stopped. He estimates he’s gone through hundreds of notebooks, pouring his thoughts and dreams onto the pages day after day.

“I love to free-write, express my thoughts. I don’t talk to a lot of people about how I feel but, my getaway is writing. So I just keep a journal with me wherever I am,” Bailey said. “It’s kind of cool to look back on what I saw for myself, seeing if I set out to do any of those things I wrote on paper. Just being able to see it through sometimes is all you need.”

At 19 years old, he’s already achieved one of the biggest milestones he wrote down in nearly every journal he kept: making it to the NBA.

Bailey was drafted out of UCLA by the Charlotte Hornets with the 41st pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Since then, the point guard played in the team’s seven-game summer league campaign, averaging 9.29 points in 16.1 minutes per game.

On July 14, the Hornets signed Bailey to a two-way contract, and he is expected to see a decent amount of action with the Greensboro Swarm as well.

This comes after a freshman year with the Bruins where Bailey excelled in postseason play, shooting 56.1% from the field through six games. In UCLA’s three NCAA Tournament contests, he scored 16.7 points per game and averaged 4.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists.

Hornets assistant coach Bruce Kreutzer has had the chance to work with Bailey since he’s been in Charlotte, mostly on his shooting. So far, he said the teenager is on his way to discovering his niche.

“He’s one of those guys that just has the ability to get to the rim, and he’s very cagey, crafty,” Kreutzer said. “He puts his head down and goes.”

Kreutzer is also working on Bailey’s three-point shooting with him in order to ensure both his play in and out of the paint is consistent. Now, with summer league drawn to a close, Bailey has the chance to spend time in the gym, honing the skills the Hornets drafted him for.

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His current routine consists of an on-court workout in the morning, an afternoon lift and another shooting session at night. He tries to emulate Kobe Bryant’s training mindset, citing the legendary player’s work ethic and desire to put in the extra hours as a source of inspiration.

“He was the hardest working. He was going to work out at four, at six at 11 and then go back at night and shoot and watch film and do all these things just to get himself one step ahead,” Bailey said. “I just know there’s always someone else out there working, and I’m never just getting complacent no matter where I am.”

Kreutzer has noticed Bailey putting in the effort on the court. He said Bailey isn’t particularly loud when he plays, but he’s a “hard-nosed” player who is determined to go the extra mile.

“It impresses me that he wants to be here,” Kreutzer said. “There’s a lot of second-round players in the NBA, that have become extremely successful. That work ethic is going to put him in a position to at least have the opportunity to do that.”

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Growing up in Chicago and moving to Los Angeles for high school, where he played for powerhouse Sierra Canyon alongside Bronny James, Bailey’s mother, Johanna Leia, was also a source of strength. He speaks openly about how he was raised in a single-parent home and how his mom is his best friend.

Leia and his little sister Savanna have been by Bailey’s side throughout his experience in Charlotte. After his workouts, he’ll meet both of them to walk around and explore the city, blindly trying new food options every day.

Though his mom and sister will return to Los Angeles as their home base, having them here, even for a little while, has been special. He said his mother always encouraged him to stay true to himself, advice he’s held close to home to this day.

“She’s been very supportive and just loving me and allowing me to be me. She’s just allowing me to grow into who I want to be, and she’s just trying to provide all the resources for me to be successful,” Bailey said. “I’m just very appreciative of that. So she’s been one of my backbones in a big supporting cast.”

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He might have a “dog mentality” on the court, but off the court, Bailey sees himself as a “goofball.” In the same way he recognizes how journaling allows him to express himself, he also recognizes that he thrives while being himself in any environment.

It’s just more fun that way, he said, and his silliness comes strictly outside of training. But letting loose is what has helped Bailey get this far in the first place.

“I’m gonna be myself wherever I go,” Bailey said. “I’m just playful but I love to get my work done as well. I don’t know about you, but being around a lot of very serious people all the time, that can get a little boring for me. I like to have fun, so I’m gonna have fun wherever I am.”

Summer league was a positive experience overall for Bailey, and the only real challenge he said he faced was adjusting to the schedule.

“It was just an amazing experience, being able to spend time with some of the guys on the team and the coaches as well. I feel like we have a great family dynamic around the whole organization,” Bailey said. “Given us being somewhat of a younger team, I feel like I can come in and just work right with everyone else. I feel like we’re very hungry, so there’s a lot to look forward to here.”

He might be destined for time in the G League and off the Hornets’ bench while developing, but Bailey has aspirations to be on a winning team in Charlotte. He knows, however, that the most important person to rely on throughout the process is himself.

“I feel like painting my own canvas in a sense. It’s a blank canvas, however many things of paint you want, it’s really what you make it,” Bailey said. “Being an all-star, being on a winning team, just grinding things out, it don’t come easy. But I signed up for the best job in the world, so I’ll be alright.”